The Ring of Grass
by TieFighterPlt181st
Summary: Just another Zelink oneshot i decided to write. Starts out with Zelda and Link as nine years old and then moves forwards 9 years. Some fluff for those who like the Zelink fluff. Read and review.


Yet another Zelink oneshot. Hopefully you guys enjoy this.

Hyrule was a land of peace and had expanded over the years, growing to encompass lands beyond the Gerudo Desert, Death Mountain, and the Lost Forest. Hyrule Castle still stood where it once did, with its walls and keep bigger and stronger than before. And inside the castle walls, the garden once tended to by Princess Zelda III better known as the Princess of Destiny was flourishing more than it had years ago

"Come on, let's play a game!" cried a little 9 year old girl excitedly, as she dragged a young boy around her own age into the garden.

"But Princess, why do we always have to play your games, they're stupid," he retorted, unable to breakaway from the young princess's surprisingly firm grip.

"I'm going to tell daddy on you and then you'll be sorry Link," she threatened.

"Aww come on, stop being such a little baby, I don't want to play a stupid girlish game with you, I want to go practice sparring," Link whined.

"Why do you always have to be so mean to me Link? All I wanted to do was play with you," Zelda pleaded.

The young princess's large sapphire blue eyes shimmered as if holding back tears. Link hated when she did that, it always made him feel so guilty when he made her cry, like that time he used his slingshot to pelt her with pebbles from high up in a tree where she couldn't find him.

"Fine, I'll play your stupid game alright, just don't start crying," Link grumbled.

Suddenly Zelda's facial expression changed dramatically to one of pure rapture as she began to issue orders.

"Alright, I get to be the beautiful, magical, and wise princess and you get to be handsome prince who comes to save me after I get captured by an evil villain and falls in love with me along the way," she described excitedly.

"Zelda why can't we at least play a different game, we have to play this one everytime. Besides I don't want to fall in love with you, girls are gross," Link retorted not nearly enthusiastic as the young girl was.

"Well its how the fairy tales in the story book goes and I'm the princess so I say we _have_ to play the game the way I want," she ordered, accepting no opposition to her idea of fun.

Zelda began acting her part in the game, singing in her melodic voice and using her elementary magic skills to play with some of the leaves. Suddenly, Zelda began acting as if she was being kidnapped, screaming and kicking at them empty air. Meanwhile, Link stood watching her, thinking her somewhat foolish for doing such things.

"Link, save me, I'm being kidnapped!" she shouted as she pretended to be dragged away behind a bush.

Unfortunately, Link became bored, never really interested in the game from the first place.

"Link! Pay attention," she shouted out again, becoming distraught that Link wasn't following her instructions.

Glowering, Link drew his small wooden training sword made especially for his nine-year old self, and the miniaturized Hylian shield from his back before glomping over to where the princess was being held "captive" behind the bush.

"Link watch out!" Zelda cried out in mock terror evidently seeing a horde of monsters that Link didn't.

Wanting to get this over with, Link humored her by taking a few swipes with his sword in thin air pretending to vanquish the monsters. Zelda kept shouting out that there were more monsters until Link grew weary. Moments later, Link had managed to "free" Zelda.

"Yay, you saved me," she said with glee.

"I'm so excited…" Link muttered sarcastically.

"Well?" Zelda asked in a leading manner.

"Well what?" Link replied, clueless.

"Now you're supposed to tell me that you love me and that you want to marry me," Zelda stated, her grin as wide as ever.

"What, why would I want to do that? That's gross," Link shot back in a manner typical to nine-year old boys.

"That's how the story goes," she sighed in exasperation.

"Fine, will you marry me?" he asked in a very flat tone devoid of all interest.

"You have to get a ring first dummy," she chided, enjoying every moment of this.

"What?" Link queried obviously not wise in the rituals of matrimony.

"The man always has to get a ring for his beloved. I want one that's big and gold with lots of diamonds on it" Zelda pointed out as if this was the most obvious thing in the world.

"I don't have anything like that," Link said hoping that this would excuse him from the rest of the game.

"Well then make one," Zelda said, persistent as ever.

"Out of what?" Link asked, yearning to leave and perhaps visit the kitchen for some milk and biscuits as he was growing hungry.

"Just use some of the grass," Zelda indicated with an evaluative sweep of her small arms at the lawn they were standing on.

Muttering to himself about stupid princesses and their dumb games, Link tore up a few blades of grass and clumsily tied them together to resemble a ring shape.

"Alright here," he stated crossly, practically throwing the grass ring at her.

Taking no note of Link's attitude, she picked it up and proudly put in on her finger.

"Alright, now you have to kiss me so that we actually become married," Zelda pressed on.

"Are you kidding, no way, that's gross," Link sulked.

"You have to," Zelda glared.

Fortunately before Link had to do so, the game was interrupted by a servant calling Zelda in for her bath.

Link skipped off happy that this form of torture was now over and that he had some free time to get something to eat and to practice his sparring. It was his greatest dream to become the greatest soldier in Hyrule, just like his deceased father had been.

9 years later

The training courtyard was filled with soldiers of various ranks. Some stood inside the dirt training circles clashing amongst themselves with wooden training swords. Others were practicing their riding skills or repairing their armor.

On the archery range stood a line of young soldiers under the eye of a grizzled middle-aged captain.

"Nock!" the Captain ordered, the soldiers reaching into their quivers and retrieving a white fletched arrow before setting it to the string of their Hylian longbows.

"Draw!" he ordered, seeing that his troops were ready. "Fire!"

Over a dozen arrows were cast from their bows, striking the straw dummies set 75 yards away. Hylian archers were known for their skill and accuracy as well as the lethality of their well crafted bows. Yet most of these troops were new recruits and had not reached the skill level of the true Hylian archer. Most of the arrows were located in the legs or arms of the opponent while quite a few had missed the target all together.

"You monkeys are pathetic," the captain raged. "In fact calling you lot monkeys would be insulting them you don't even rate that much you lousy bunch of mamas boys. How can expect to survive in combat if you cant even hit a straw dummy at 75 yards," he berated

Yet, among the targets one had an arrow lodged in it right between where the eyes of the foe would have been. Walking over to where the shooter of this target was, he leaned down into the face of the recruit.

"What's your name soldier?" the Captain inquired.

"Link sir!" the young man with the sandy blond hair replied.

"That was a mighty nice shot you had there," the officer commented.

"Thank you sir," Link thanked the older man.

"Why don't you take another shot so we can see if that was luck or skill," the Captain challenged handing Link an arrow.

Without a word, Link accepted the arrow and nocked it to the string. Pulling back steadily and focusing on the target, he lined the arrow up and then released his hooked fingers from the bowstring. Flying straight and true, the arrow lodged itself into the dummy right next to the first.

The Captain nodded in approval and took another arrow. "Again," he ordered simply.

For the third time, Link shot the arrow and the result was the same and again the result was the same. Looking to the Captain all he was greeted by was a hand holding out another arrow. By now, the rest of the trainees had gathered around Link who was repeatedly firing arrow after arrow without an end in sight. Many of the older soldiers dropped their activities to see this new recruit continue to cluster his arrows within the head of the straw dummy. Link lost count of the arrows he fired his mind in automatic mode. However, the Hylian bow to achieve its extraordinary range and power had an enormous draw of well over one hundred pounds and Link felt his muscles begin to burn slowly and then with more force. Finally, after his umpteenth arrow, Link finally missed not being able to hold the bow steady enough to aim any longer.

"That was quite impressive Link. You managed to score one hundred and twelve hits to the head. Keep working and you will break your father's record of one seventy eight. Go ahead and call it a day," the Captain congratulated with a clap to Link's shoulder causing him to wince a bit in pain.

"As for the rest of you, back to the firing line. You aren't leaving until you hit at least the trunk of the body three times in a row," the Captain ordered in his loud voice.

Link took his bow in hand as well as his other gear before leaving the training ground with the congratulations of many of the soldiers present. As he passed the archway leading from the training ground, he saw a blue blur streak towards him wrap him in a tight embrace.

"Hello Your Highness," he winced as she had hit his left side, the arm which he used to draw his bow.

"Link, we've known each other for years now. We're friends aren't we? Please just call me Zelda," the eighteen year old princess told him.

"Right. Sorry but can you please let go, you're hugging too tight and that's my drawing arm," he informed her.

"Oh right, sorry," she apologized. "You did really well today, I was watching you from one of the balconies. You're even better than most of the archers in father's own regiment," she praised, referring to the Kings own elite hand picked group of soldiers.

Link blushed at the praise. It wasn't everyday that the beautiful Crown Princess of the most powerful kingdom praised someone like him, a common soldier with no title or estate.

"It, was nothing really," he said modestly, his hand unconsciously going to scratch the back of his head.

"Well I was just on my way to lunch and I was wondering if you'd like to join me," Zelda invited.

"Well, I, uhhhh," Link stuttered.

"Oh, come on Link, I don't bite," she pleaded endearingly using her eyes much as she had years ago.

"I have to put away my things," Link managed to reply.

"Alright fine, but come to the dining hall as soon as you're done or else I'll have to hurt you Link, and don't think I won't" she teased before going off to the dining hall.

Link watched as the Princess glided down the hallway and turned the corner. The two had been friends ever since they were little children and Zelda insisted that he come and participate in her little fantasy games. As the years passed on the two remained a tight pair of friends inseparable and still spending a lot of time together despite their different stations in life.

Looking at her retreating form Link marveled at how the cute little mischievous and bossy little girl from nine years ago had matured into this beautiful young woman who was both kind and wise but still as fun loving as she was when she forced Link to play games with her. And as the years passed, Link found himself feeling towards Zelda an emotion he had never encountered before, love;

He found her there, sitting and daintily poking at a bit of beef roast.

"Don't like the food?" Link smiled.

"Oh no, its fine but there's just so much of it. I could never finish it," Zelda returned.

Link took hearty helpings of everything on the table being quite hungry as a result of the training sessions.

"Always the healthy eater aren't you Link?" she asked, as her eyes twinkled with humor.

"Well us soldiers don't eat as well as princesses do, so I'm taking advantage of the opportunity," Link replied between a mouthful of potatoes and Cucco.

"So you're just using me for the food then," she teased pretending to be hurt.

"Course not," he protested while shoving another forkful of meat into his mouth, which elicited a giggle on her part. The princess continued to laugh at Link's frankly atrocious table manners as he finally concluded stuffing himself full.

"Let's head to the garden, its such a nice day outside," Zelda suggested.

Link assented and the two walked side by side towards the garden. Arriving there, the princess ran ahead to sit in the shade of a tall elm tree from where she beckoned Link to join her.

"Won't you wreck your dress?" Link asked.

"Oh, I don't care. I hate dresses anyways," she laughed.

"Remember when we were little children Link?" Zelda reminisced.

"Yep," Link replied relaxing in the cool shade.

"We always came out to play games," Zelda remembered from memory.

"More like you always dragged me out here," Link shot back with a smile.

"Whatever, you know you liked it. I remember that one game I made you play where we pretended that we had to fall in love and get married," Zelda laughed.

"So do I. Kind of makes you think how young and foolish we were right?" Link said slowly as he felt his own emotions stirred up into a tumultuous storm within. For the briefest moment, Link thought he saw a flash of hurt on Zelda's face but he dismissed it as an illusion of the light.

"Well enough about the past, how's training going?" Zelda inquired, changing the topic.

"Oh, its pretty busy. Hopefully I'll be a real soldier in a couple of weeks and then I'll make father and mother proud," he told her. "How about you?"

"Oh, busy as usual except for more now," Zelda replied a bit morosely.

"What's wrong," Link queried with concern for his friend at her sudden change in mood.

"It's just that I'm eighteen now and father insists that I had to be married soon. So he had princes from everywhere come to court me and he picked one, Prince Zephyanthes of Usturia. He even came prepared with a wedding ring," Zelda informed him and holding out said ring which matched the one that Zelda described so many years ago.

"What's wrong then Zelda? It's just like you dreamed, a prince who comes to sweep you off your feet and makes you fall head over heels in love with him. He's even got the ring you wanted," Link responded somewhat resignedly.

"But its not like a dream because I don't love him Link," she said angrily before taking the said ring and tossing it as far as she could into the pond.

"What are you doing, that's your wedding ring?" Link asked, incredulous.

"It means nothing to me. He doesn't love me and I don't love him. I don't want to get married to him, not now, not ever. I don't want any of those princes, they're all the same. I just want a man that I love," Zelda insisted in a mood reminiscent of one of her temper tantrums from her childhood. "Maybe I'm not meant to find love Link," she surrendered.

"Of course not, you'll find love, I know you will," Link reassured her with newfound hope of his own.

"Thank you Link, you've always made me feel better," the Princess remarked softly before drifting off into a nap, the stress taking its toll.

This left Link to contemplate on his own in silence as Zelda slept peacefully next to him. Was this his chance to tell her of his feelings for her? The more defeatist section of his brain told him no, and he would never have a chance as Zelda obviously still wanted to hold onto her dream of a prince so badly and Link could in no way compare to a prince. Yet Link's more determined half insisted that he give it a shot and asked himself whether he could live the rest of his life without a single regret for what might have been had be taken a chance. Giving in Link decided to lay out his heart for the Princess but he didn't know how. He didn't have a fancy ring or presents that the princes did. Link thought to himself as he toyed with the grass feeling its blades tickle his palm. That's when it hit him.

Zelda woke up about an hour later. Yawning and rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she saw in the folds of her dress something green. Picking it out from the silk she saw that it was a ring, a ring made of grass. She gasped to herself as history seemed to replay itself as she now held in her hand a small ring made of grass much as she had nine years ago. Only one person could have made such an object and she looked around for him yet he was not within immediate sight. Standing up and clasping the ring to her chest she sought out Link. Within minutes she found him, sitting at the edge of one of the many stone fountains hidden in various parts of the garden.

"Oh, you're awake," Link noted as he poured the water from his cupped hand back into the basin of the fountain.

"Do you mean it Link?" she asked directly holding up the small grass ring.

"I do Zelda. I love you with all my heart and I think that I always have, even when we were children. However, when I see that ring, I see why we cannot be together. You are a princess by birth Zelda and I am just a soldier. You need a prince to wed, not a man like I," lamented Link, looking down at the ripples in the water caused by the spray of water from the center of the fountain.

"Link look at me," she insisted pulling his face up to look into hers. For too long I've been ignorant. I kept living in a dream that wasn't real and it kept me from seeing you. All this time I've been looking so hard at other lands for the prince of my dreams. But in doing so I was blinded to you. You're the prince of my dreams Link and while you might not have the official title or the money, to me you'll always be the one of my dreams," she finished before pulling him in for a tender kiss.

So yeah, what'd did u think. I know its probably not that good but it was a random idea I had in the car on the way home so yeah.


End file.
